The X-Files Of Hockey: 5 Shocking Facts About Basil Pocklington And The Stanley Cup’s Most Famous Mistake

The Stanley Cup is arguably the most recognizable and revered trophy in professional sports, but its pristine silver surface hides a secret history of errors, misspellings, and deliberate rule-breaking. As of December 21, 2025, one of the most enduring and fascinating stories etched—and then famously crossed out—on the Cup is that of Basil Pocklington. He was a man with no official connection to the game, yet his name remains a permanent, albeit defaced, mark on the NHL's most treasured prize, a testament to a brazen act of a team owner and a major precedent for the league. This famous engraving blunder, which occurred after the Edmonton Oilers' first championship victory, has become more relevant in recent years. The 'X's over Basil Pocklington's name are not just an historical curiosity; they represent the first major correction of an unauthorized name on the Cup, a precedent that was cited decades later in one of the NHL’s most controversial modern cases. Understanding Basil Pocklington’s brief, unauthorized moment on the trophy is key to understanding the sacred rules and history of the Stanley Cup itself.

Basil Pocklington: A Biographical Profile and His Unofficial NHL Affiliation

The man at the center of this unique piece of hockey lore was not a player, a coach, or a manager, but simply the father of one of the sport's most controversial figures.

• Full Name: Basil Cohen Pocklington.
• Relation to Hockey: Father of Peter Pocklington, the former owner of the Edmonton Oilers during their dynasty years (1976–1998).
• Official Role with Oilers: None. Basil Pocklington held no official or active role with the 1983–84 Edmonton Oilers team, which is the reason his name was ultimately corrected.
• Connection to Peter Pocklington's Business: Basil was reportedly involved in some of Peter Pocklington's various business ventures outside of hockey, but not the day-to-day operations of the Oilers.
• Key Stanley Cup Event: His name was surreptitiously added to the Stanley Cup roster for the 1983–84 season by his son, Peter, only to be famously 'X'd out' by the NHL upon discovery.
• Life Dates: Precise birth and death dates are not widely available in public records, reflecting his status as a private individual who gained fame only through his son’s actions.

The Bold Act: How Basil Pocklington's Name Made the Cup in 1984

The story of Basil Pocklington's name on the Stanley Cup begins with the Edmonton Oilers' first championship victory. The 1983–84 Oilers, led by a young Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey, defeated the four-time defending champion New York Islanders to claim their first of five Stanley Cups in seven years. Following a championship win, the winning team is given a limited number of spaces—typically around 52—to engrave the names of players, coaches, trainers, and essential management staff. The rule is clear: only individuals who were actively involved with the team during the season or the Stanley Cup Final are eligible for inclusion. For non-players, this means holding a legitimate, active role such as a coach, general manager, or trainer.

The Oilers’ owner, Peter Pocklington, a man known for his entrepreneurial boldness and later, his controversial business dealings, decided to use one of those coveted spots to honor his father, Basil Pocklington. Basil, who had no official function with the team, was simply added to the list of names submitted for engraving. It was an audacious, personal gesture by a powerful owner who believed he could bypass the National Hockey League's (NHL) established protocols for the sport's most sacred trophy.

The engraver, unaware of the familial connection or the lack of official standing, dutifully etched "BASIL POCKLINGTON" onto the ring dedicated to the 1983–84 Edmonton Oilers. The name was listed alongside legends like Gretzky, Messier, and Jari Kurri. The error remained on the trophy for a period until the NHL, or the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) as the Cup's custodian, became aware of the unauthorized addition.

The Correction: The Infamous 'X's and the NHL's Firm Stance

Once the NHL discovered the unauthorized name, a decision was made to correct the error. Unlike simple misspellings, which have sometimes been corrected or, in the case of the 1981 New York Islanders being engraved as the "Ilanders," left alone, the inclusion of a non-team member was a breach of the Cup's integrity. The solution was not to grind the name off, which would damage the silver, but to use a series of 'X's to obscure it.

The name "BASIL POCKLINGTON" was permanently defaced with a row of 'X' marks, a visual and physical correction that remains on the Cup to this day. This action served as a clear, unmistakable message: the Stanley Cup’s roster is not a place for personal favors or unauthorized additions. The correction was a rare instance of the league intervening to physically alter a name on the trophy, setting a crucial precedent for future controversies.

The Topical Authority: Stanley Cup Engraving Errors and Faux Pas

The Basil Pocklington incident is one of the most famous, but it is not the only mistake or unauthorized entry on the Stanley Cup. These errors add to the trophy's unique character and lore, solidifying its status as a living historical document.

• The 'Ilanders' Mistake: The 1981 New York Islanders are famously misspelled as "Ilanders" on the Cup, an error that was never corrected.
• The Duplicate Name: Pete Palangio's name for the 1937–38 Chicago Blackhawks appears twice, once spelled correctly and once incorrectly as "PALAGIO."
• Misspellings Corrected: More recent errors, such as "Adam Deadmarch" (for Deadmarsh) and "Manny Lagace" (for Legace), were corrected by the HHOF silversmith.

The Lasting Precedent: Basil Pocklington and the Brad Aldrich Case

The true historical significance of Basil Pocklington's defaced name became evident decades later when the NHL faced a far more serious controversy. In 2021, the Chicago Blackhawks requested that the name of former video coach Brad Aldrich—who was later implicated in a sexual assault scandal—be removed from the 2009–10 Stanley Cup roster. Although Aldrich met the technical criteria for inclusion (unlike Basil Pocklington), the decision to remove his name was based on moral and ethical grounds following the revelations of his misconduct.

In making the case for removal, the Blackhawks and the NHL cited the Basil Pocklington correction as a historical precedent. The argument was that if the league had the authority to cross out a name for simply being unauthorized (Basil Pocklington), it certainly had the authority to take similar action for a name associated with severe moral and legal misconduct (Brad Aldrich). The Hockey Hall of Fame ultimately confirmed that Aldrich’s name was also 'X'd out' on the Cup, mirroring the corrective action taken against Basil Pocklington's name nearly 40 years earlier.

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The Basil Pocklington incident, therefore, is more than just a quirky hockey footnote. It established the NHL’s power to police the integrity of the Stanley Cup's engraving, ensuring that the trophy's roster is reserved only for those who rightfully earned their place. The permanent 'X's over Basil Pocklington’s name are a constant reminder that even the most powerful team owners cannot rewrite the history of hockey’s greatest prize.

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